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Getting to Wings Over Wayne

By Tech. Sgt. Tammie Moore, 4th Fighter Wing Public Affairs / Published April 06, 2011

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SEYMOUR JOHNSON AIR FORCE BASE, N.C. -- For any great celebration, a lot of behind-the-scenes preparation has to take place before the event can take wings. Working feverishly behind the scenes, a group of Base and Goldsboro community professionals have been planning for Seymour Johnson's upcoming Wings Over Wayne Air Show and Open House. A huge part of that effort has been the preparation for the increased crowds the Air Show hopes to see and the results of that planning are something Base and Community officials are extremely proud of.

"We fused our professionals together as a team," said Capt. Al King, Goldsboro Police Department chief. This team is ready to handle anything to make this a positive experience for everyone in the community.

The planning committee for this event extends beyond the base's gates; it includes the GPD, the Wayne County Sherriff's Department, the N.C. Highway Patrol and the Department of Transportation. This team has been working together to ensure there is enough parking for all spectators, and that traffic entering and exiting the base moves as smoothly as possible.

"The N.C. Highway Patrol will keep traffic moving safely in Goldsboro and on the highways," Captain King said. "They are vital to this operation because they are experts at managing events of this magnitude." The Wayne County Sherrif's department is also pitching in with "eyes in the sky" in the form of their Aviation Unit's helicopter patrol to monitor traffic.

The air show director, Maj. James Ladd, attributes the joint team's hard work to the formation of a solid parking and traffic management plan.

"What makes this event unique is that we are doing this with a community that fully supports the Air Force and Seymour Johnson Air Force Base," he said. "The real success has been the amount of cooperation and joint interoperability between the base Security Forces, Goldsboro Police Department, The Sherriff's Department and State Highway Patrol as well as the state and local governments. Every possible way into and out of Seymour Johnson AFB has been analyzed by the experts for several months. For the first time in our Air Show's history we will have 'an eye in the sky' with the Sherriff's department helicopter feeding traffic information real-time to the command and control personnel so that adjustments like traffic lane expansions, stop light timing and detours can be immediately communicated and executed to keep traffic flowing as freely as possible."

The following are a few tips to help Air Show guests plan their drive to the event:

Traffic updates
For traffic updates tune into 1610 AM. A Wayne County Sheriffs' Department helicopter crew will provide real-time traffic flow updates for guests' situational awareness on this channel.

Entering the base
The Oak Forest and Berkeley Gates open to the public April 16-17 at 8 a.m. The Oak Forest Gate will be open to inbound traffic until 2 p.m. The Berkley Gate will be open to inbound traffic until 6 p.m. Both gates will have two lanes open to inbound traffic. Car pooling is encouraged.

To help facilitate the flow of traffic onto the base, traffic traveling down Berkeley Boulevard toward the base will have an extended green light. In addition, a Goldsboro police officer will be on-site to assist with the traffic flow.

Parking on base
There will be four parking areas on base, broken into four color zones. Shuttles will stop in each color zone every 20-30 minutes. The larger color zones will have bleachers and port-a-johns available for guest use. It is recommended those waiting for buses have everything they need to take on base with them to include sunscreen, sunglasses and cash.

Handicap parking areas will also be available. Individuals requesting handicapped parking must have state-approved handicapped placards.

Parking off base
For local spectators choosing to park off base, there will be parking areas available near Greenwood Middle School and Meadow Lane Elementary School. Spectators parking off base at these locations will proceed through a pedestrian gate on to the base and will be able to either walk to the event or take an on base shuttle.

Leaving the base
At the end of the Air Show, the Oak Forest, Berkeley and Slocumb Gates will be open for outbound traffic. Signs will be strategically placed off-base to direct drivers to US-70 or US-117.
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